Cleaning

For regular cleaning of dust and bird residue, simply wipe off the glass with a wet cloth. Wiping with rubbing alcohol or glass cleaner may be necessary to remove oily residue and reduce beading of precipitation.

Removal of the glass dome is strongly discouraged, as the glass is very easily broken during removal or reinstallation. If the glass must be removed, we recommend the following procedure:

Wedge a screwdriver between the rubber stopper (inside the bottom) and metal housing wall, to provide a path for air movement.

With a gentle twisting motion, with your hand wrapped evenly around the glass, careful to apply pressure evenly, use an unscrewing motion to slowly twist off the glass.

For reinstallation, wipe a very small amount of water on the o-ring to lubricate it.

Blow hot dry air into the dome / housing just prior to closure, to prevent internal condensation.

Dome reinstallation is then the reverse of removal. Ensure the screwdriver is in place to provide a path for air to escape when compressing the dome down onto the housing.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Will the camera work with a PAL or SECAM television?
A: NTSC is the video system used by most countries in North and South America, as well as Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines. PAL is widely used in Europe as well as other countries. The All Sky Cam is now available in both NTSC and PAL versions. An NTSC camera cannot be converted to PAL nor vice versa, so be sure to purchase the correct version.

Q: What altitude is the ASC rated for?
A: The glass dome is air tight, so above about 12,000 feet altitude (3600 m) it will pop off the housing and need to be reseated, a simple operation (follow the last half of the Cleaning instructions above). While packed in its shipping case, it has been vacuum chamber tested to 22,000 feet without any ill effects or need for re-seating. Air freight shipments do not expose cargo to pressure altitudes above 19,000 feet, so the ASC is completely safe for air shipment.

Q: How often should I clean the glass cover?
A: It depends on a number of local factors, such as birds and the frequency of rainfall. In a wet area, when the camera is lower than nearby trees (and thus less attractive for birds to sit on), it may never need cleaning. In a dry dusty climate, where the all sky camera is the highest object around and birds perch on it frequently, cleaning may be needed every 1-2 months. To clean the dome, wipe it off with a wet paper towel or rag and be careful not to leave oily residue.

Q: How much of a problem are birds? Will they damage the camera?
A: We have over 5 years of continuous testing of the first generation all sky camera with no damage. There are no scratches, cracks, or other damage to the glass dome and all dirt has been easy to clean off. Birds may occasionally perch on the cover, but it is difficult to grab onto and they rarely stay for more than a minute or two. If birds do become a problem, move the camera to a less prominent position or supply a more attractive perch for them.

Q: What are the colored dots that appear at night?
A: As a result of the CCD sensor manufacturing process, it is normal for a few dozen pixels (out of almost 412,000) to generate a small amount of extra signal. This signal may be visible at night as randomly colored pixels scattered across the frame. This is not a defect and is not grounds for a warranty return, as all units include some number of them.

Q: Why is there a bar through the sun?
A: The Sun is so bright that a large electrical signal is generated which can spill into the column of the CCD sensor. This is a normal condition. Due to the small aperture of the lens, the amount of sunlight reaching the CCD sensor is quite small, smaller than if the CCD was exposed to the Sun without any lens at all, and therefore it can safely image the Sun directly.

Q: Can I see what exposure the camera is set to?
A: No, unfortunately the camera does not have a readout of the current exposure settings, in order to keep the cost as low as possible.